I have been working for On-Focus Inc, a disability support organisation at Casino in Northern NSW since May 1998. I have a daughter with spina bifida – she’s 22 now – and an ageing mother. I have been here now for seven and a half years and wouldn’t have been here that long if it wasn’t a good place to work. My employer Vivienne Phillips has been very supportive of my situation.

When Donna Smith was growing up her mother cared for her. Now the roles are reversed and Donna is caring for her mother. And in a further example of the passing down of the caring role within families, Donna’s daughter is also helping with the care of her grandmother. This is Donna’s story.